Latest / Sunny Mornings Boston / Boston Weather, Grand Canyon, Celtics, Cody Bellinger, U.S. EV Market, Time Crystals.

Transcript

Boston Weather, Grand Canyon, Celtics, Cody Bellinger, U.S. EV Market, Time Crystals. · Sunny Mornings Boston

• 0:00
  Good morning and a warm welcome to your show, Sunny Mornings in Boston.
• 0:07
  I'm your host, Melissa, and it's Monday, February 26th.
• 0:13
  Coming up on today's show, we'll get into the weather outlook, then we'll jump into
• 0:17
  some local news and a few interesting happenings in business, tech, and science.
• 0:24
  At first, you'll be interested to know 105 years ago. Today, in 1919, U.S. Congress established
• 0:32
  the Grand Canyon National Park in northwestern Arizona.
• 0:37
  And 10 years after that, on this day, they established Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
• 0:45
  I highly recommend seeing Grand Teton. It will blow your mind.
• 0:50
  Checking out the weather in the Boston area. This morning, it's mostly cloudy and feels
• 0:56
  like 25 degrees, with 11 mile per hour wind. The sunset will take place at 529 p.m. and
• 1:04
  it will rise again tomorrow at 623 a.m. It looks like we're in for a slight chance of
• 1:10
  snow before 8 a.m., then a slight chance of rain between 8 and 9 a.m.
• 1:17
  It will be cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 49 and southwest
• 1:23
  wind of 9 to 11 mile per hour. The chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• 1:30
  Tonight, partly cloudy, with a low around 31.
• 1:35
  And for all you beach runners out there, the first low tide Monday will be just after 6
• 1:40
  a.m., with a high tide just after noon.
• 1:44
  The nearshore buoy at Cape Cod Bay reads 39 degrees for the water temperature.
• 1:52
  Looking ahead in the weather. We'll see partly sunny skies on Tuesday, with a high near 57
• 1:59
  degrees, turning to a rainy and breezy night. Rain continues through Wednesday, with wind
• 2:05
  and highs around 59. The first day offers a chance of rain, partly
• 2:10
  sunny and breezy, with a high near 45 degrees. Expect clearer skies by Friday, with sunny
• 2:18
  conditions and a high around 41.
• 2:21
  Bonjour, food enthusiasts! This podcast is brought to you by Versailles Cafe and Pastries
• 2:29
  in Encinitas. Nestled on El Camino Real South, just north of Encinitas Boulevard, this cafe
• 2:37
  is a haven for culinary delights. Indulge in their amazing Eggs Benedict or their gluten-free
• 2:44
  crepes. You can grab a panini for lunch or just breeze
• 2:49
  on through to get your morning coffee. They are open every day from 8 to 5.
• 2:55
  So stop on by and don't forget to tell them. Sunny mornings send you.
• 3:02
  And local news. Boston's housing market is currently the hottest in the nation, outpacing
• 3:08
  even San Francisco. Data from Altos Research places the Boston,
• 3:13
  Cambridge and Quincy Metro area at the top, with a market action index score of 60.59,
• 3:20
  indicating a strong seller's market. This heat is largely due to a severe lack of inventory,
• 3:28
  with active single-family listings in the area significantly lower than pre-pandemic
• 3:33
  levels. Real estate agents like Dove Danzi and Nichol
• 3:38
  highly observe a return to aggressive buyer tactics, such as paying over asking prices
• 3:44
  and waiving home inspections. Interest rates, a key factor affecting the
• 3:49
  market, are leading to increased buyer activity as they stabilize.
• 3:55
  Despite this, the market isn't as frenzied as during the pandemic peak, with fewer multiple
• 4:00
  offer situations. The average median list price in the metro
• 4:04
  area has soared to $879,000, reflecting a substantial increase over the past few years.
• 4:15
  As spring approaches, agents anticipate a slight increase in inventory, but properties
• 4:20
  in desirable locations are expected to continue selling rapidly.
• 4:31
  Now onto sports. Hootie Bellinger, once a star with the Dodgers,
• 4:36
  has reportedly signed a three-year, $80 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
• 4:42
  This comes a year after the Dodgers decided against offering him arbitration.
• 4:47
  Bellinger's journey saw highs and lows. He was the 2019 National League MVP and 2017
• 4:54
  Rookie of the Year, but his performance dipped significantly in subsequent seasons due to
• 5:00
  injuries. Despite these challenges, he had a remarkable
• 5:04
  resurgence with the Cubs in 2023, leading to this lucrative contract.
• 5:10
  The deal includes opt-out clauses after the first two years, offering flexibility.
• 5:15
  Bellinger's agent, Scott Boris, attributes his earlier struggles to injuries, but is
• 5:21
  optimistic about his client's future. This contract represents a significant turn
• 5:27
  in Bellinger's career, highlighting his potential as a valuable player in Major League
• 5:32
  Baseball. In the NBA Saturday, the Celtics on the road
• 5:38
  beat the Knicks 116-102. Al Horford, the 37-year-old backup center,
• 5:46
  delivered a subtly dominant performance in their latest win.
• 5:50
  Despite a modest line of 10 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes, Horford's impact
• 5:56
  was significant. He grabbed four offensive rebounds in the
• 6:00
  final quarter, showcasing his strength in post-ups and making crucial defensive plays.
• 6:08
  This contributed to the Celtics' eighth consecutive victory, extending their streak
• 6:12
  of road wins since January 11th. Holding the best record in the East, they lead
• 6:19
  by eight games and have a lead-best point differential of 10.3 per game.
• 6:25
  Horford's role has evolved this season, transitioning to a six-man, but his impact
• 6:31
  remains pivotal. His physicality and ability to create plays,
• 6:35
  especially in the fourth quarter, were key factors in overcoming the Knicks' early
• 6:40
  rebounding advantage. Also on Saturday, the Bruins on their third
• 6:45
  road game lost to the Knucks in overtime 3-2. Tonight, the Bruins are in Seattle to take
• 6:53
  on the Kraken. In top news, the U.S. electric vehicle market
• 7:01
  is growing, not declining. In the last quarter of 2023, EV sales increased
• 7:07
  by 40%, hitting over 1 million sales. However, there are some challenges, include
• 7:15
  high prices, limited charging infrastructure, and complex tax credits.
• 7:20
  Also, most electric vehicles are pricey, which led Ford to cut prices for the Mach-E and
• 7:27
  develop cheaper models. The U.S. needs more fast chargers, currently
• 7:32
  having less than 40,000 against a requirement of 182,000 by 2030.
• 7:39
  Automakers are investing in expanding this network.
• 7:44
  Tax credit rules for EVs are intricate, affecting consumer decisions.
• 7:50
  But leasing has become popular, allowing broader access to tax credits.
• 7:55
  Despite these issues, the EV market is actually on an upward trajectory.
• 8:01
  In business news, this week, major retailers like Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Best Buy,
• 8:08
  and TJX report earnings amidst cautious market sentiments.
• 8:14
  Shoppers have prioritized essentials over clothing and electronics due to higher grocery
• 8:19
  and gas prices. Macy's, facing leadership changes and takeover bids, reports on Tuesday.
• 8:27
  Analysts are wary due to challenging mall traffic and evolving fashion relevance.
• 8:33
  Urban Outfitters, also reporting Tuesday, grapples with price-sensitive younger customers
• 8:39
  and is reinvigorating its brand appeal. TJX reports Wednesday, potentially benefiting
• 8:45
  from a shift to off-price retailing amidst economic pressures.
• 8:50
  Best Buy, reporting Thursday, might see a demand uptick for electronics as consumers
• 8:56
  replace aging devices. These reports follow Walmart's indication
• 9:01
  of lower general merchandise prices, impacting retailer profits.
• 9:06
  Additionally, results from Vizio, AMC Entertainment, Domino's, Papa John's, Dell, and Lowe's
• 9:14
  are expected. Paramount Global's Wednesday report is notable
• 9:19
  amid the streaming industry's spending cuts and potential mergers and acquisition activity.
• 9:25
  The week also brings insights into cloud services demand with Salesforce, Snowflake, Okta, and
• 9:32
  Workday reporting reflecting on employers' tech budgets and AI demand.
• 9:38
  In crypto movement, Bitcoin is currently just under $52,000, Ethereum is over $3,000, and
• 9:47
  Solana is $103. Moving on to a more local vibe.
• 9:55
  In our community spotlight on health and wellness, we are working with a national Pilates studio
• 10:02
  to bring you some free classes, so listen up.
• 10:06
  Check out Club Pilates with several locations in the Boston area. Pilates presents a comprehensive
• 10:12
  wellness approach, cultivating strength, reducing tension, and elevating mental well-being.
• 10:20
  Scientific research affirms its benefits. So now you can check out Club Pilates for
• 10:26
  a free class. With locations in Canton, Wellesley, Hingham,
• 10:30
  Brookline, and Framingham, just be sure to tell them Sunny Morning sent you by.
• 10:38
  And now back to the show. Let's talk science.
• 10:44
  Scientists at the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany have achieved a significant breakthrough
• 10:49
  in physics by creating a time crystal that lasted about 40 minutes, significantly longer
• 10:56
  than previous ones which only lasted a few milliseconds.
• 11:01
  Time crystals, a new state of matter, have atoms arranged in repeating patterns in time,
• 11:06
  unlike traditional crystals which are arranged in space.
• 11:11
  This particular time crystal was made using a semiconductor crystal of indium gallium
• 11:16
  arsenide doped with silicon, cooled to 6 Kelvin, and then exposed to laser light.
• 11:24
  This process resulted in nuclear spins that oscillated continuously for 40 minutes without
• 11:30
  decaying, indicating the potential for even longer-lasting time crystals.
• 11:36
  This discovery could revolutionize quantum computing, where time crystals might serve
• 11:41
  as qubits. This advancement not only challenges our current
• 11:46
  understanding of physics, but also opens up new avenues for technological innovation.
• 11:53
  And be sure to stay tuned tomorrow for an explanation of qubits.
• 12:00
  And in entertainment news, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav just announced a significant
• 12:07
  shift in streaming strategy, confirming that HBO Max will be bundled with a new sports
• 12:13
  streaming service launching this fall in partnership with Disney and Fox.
• 12:19
  This move aligns with Zaslav's long-standing advocacy for bundling to simplify consumer
• 12:25
  experiences and drive business growth. The bundling strategy, reflecting a pivot
• 12:32
  back to traditional cable bundle benefits, aims to streamline access to diverse content
• 12:38
  across multiple platforms. Despite some controversial decisions, Zaslav's
• 12:45
  approach has led to profitability in the Warner Bros. Discovery streaming segment, signaling
• 12:51
  potential future savings for consumers through more integrated streaming services.
• 12:57
  Well, alrighty folks, it's time for the quote of the day.
• 13:02
  And today our quote comes from the writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson.
• 13:09
  What lies behind you? And what lies in front of you?
• 13:13
  Nails in comparison to what lies inside of you.
• 13:18
  Have a great day everyone. And that's a wrap for this morning.
• 13:24
  Remember to stay tuned tomorrow for more news and updates.
• 13:27
  Have an amazing day my good friends.